Galley countertop material?

[methridge]

I've mostly finished my build and I've actually taken it out and camped a couple times now. But I'm not happy with my countertop. Currently just a sheet of 3/4" plywood, covered in two coats of epoxy and 5 coats of polyurethane (Varathane, exterior, semi-gloss). The Varathane isn't as durable as I'd hoped, and I've already noticed some dents into the wood from pretty light usage.

I'd like to put something on top of my current countertop, but not sure what. It has to be something thin, I've got a sink and an electrical box that needs to be able to open up, so I can't put another 1/2" or 3/4" kitchen countertop from Ikea or Home Depot or anything like that. Maybe something smooth that I can apply like paint, but dries very durable? Or a thin (1/8" or so) film/plastic/linoleum material? Heck, I'm even contemplating a thin sheet of copper.

Any suggestions?

[halfdome, Danny]

Best surface is plastic laminate aka Formica, Wilson Art etc.
Since your countertop is already installed cut the plam a little small and glue it down with contact cement.
You could use , wood, aluminium or whatever to trim out the gaps from cutting it undersized.
You can order it and the glue in the kitchen department at Home Depot.
Danny

[tony.latham]

I used some heavy-gauged galvanized sheet metal with this last build.



Stainless would have been a notch up but there was none to be found in this little town.

Tony

[rjgimp]

Is stainless steel or even aluminum available near you in 1/8"? If you can accommodate that thickness that might be the ticket.

[flyweight]

Stainless is great and what I have, but FYI it won’t look perfect after a few trips either. Everything scratches it and you can see fingerprints or wipe streaks in it pretty easily. It’s also sometimes blinding in sun. My suggestion is to accept wear and pick the material that you think will last you the longest for your circumstances. There’s always a point where imperfections become character!

[noseoil]

Formica will be durable & easy to put down on the existing counter, if you can remove the counter to do the lamination & edges.

[bobhenry]

The ceramic tile I put on Chubby had been down 12 years and thousands of miles I just used %100 silicone and grouted with the same ...

[aggie79]

Glass mosaic tile with epoxy grout:

[prohandyman]

Where are you located? I have a roll of Formica that I no longer have a use for

[rjgimp]

Where are you located? I have a roll of Formica that I no longer have a use for

I believe methridge is in California.

[Shadow Catcher]

Formica

[wannabefree]

We used Corian. It's heavy, but with 200 lb tongue weight I don't mind hauling around a bit of lead in the back. If you glue the stuff, be sure to rough up the faces real good. I had glued a strip across the front to hide the plywood underneath; it popped off the first trip. That hasn't happened again.

[western traveler]

I am leaning towards a brushed stainless countertop and backsplash on my build. I have put several galleys together on fishing boats over the years all seeing heavy use (as in serving thousands a year) a couple for over 20 years. None have had to be redone and they pass health inspections yearly.
Take the measurements to a local shop and it is easy for them to bend one out to fit your space.